LOVERBOY. Directed by Joan Micklin Silver; written by Robin Schiff, Tom Ropelewski, and Leslie Dixon; produced by Gary Foster and Willie Hunt for Tri-Star. Starring Patrick Dempsey.
More reviews by —
TITLE:
RATING:
Loverboy is a lightweight entertainment that's about one-half of a good screwball comedy. Its final 30 minutes delightfully weaves together all the crazy plot lines, ending, of course with the bad guys getting their just desserts and the good guys living happily ever after.
The best farces, however, don't have so much trouble setting things up. The first part of Loverboy is confusing, disjointed and not particularly interesting. It's quite a testimony to Dempsey's charm and comic talent that we're not too turned off by this lackadaisical beginning to enjoy the ending.
Randy is working at Senor Pizza during the summer, trying to earn enough money to return to college in the fall. At minimum wage, his future looks pretty bleak. But then, completely by accident, he discovers a lucrative sideline. It involves delivering a bit more, shall we say, than the usual pizza to filthy rich, yet unhappy, Beverly Hills housewives.
Not just any actor could turn such a potentially dismall scenario into such satisfying comedy. But Dempsey manages to maintain an innocent, good-guy quality throughout. And this consistency is what saves the movie.
It's also helped along by a good supporting cast. Kirstie Alley is the most interesting and entertaining of Randy's "clients," a doctor who's just found out her husband has been unfaithful. Kate Jackson and Robert Ginty are good as Randy's parents, and Nancy Valen is pretty and nicely down-to-earth as his girlfriend.
May 17, 1989